Disclaimer: So, just to clarify, I am a fairly haphazard sewer.* I am terrible at cutting fabric, I rarely pin or iron things when I should, I take shortcuts and I tend to make up most of my projects through trial and multiple errors. My mom, Peggy, taught me how to sew and she is a very competent seamstress. She even made me a beautiful prom dress when I was in high school. So, basically, I have no excuse for my slapdash style of sewing other than laziness and a lack of patience.
This is a smallish twin sized quilt, and it measures about 60” x 80”. To keep the layout simple, I based everything off of 11” squares. I picked up some plastic quilt template sheets to use in cutting out the squares** I ended up with four basic shapes, all of which made up a (roughly) 11” square: 1 square, 2 triangles, 3 strips and 4 little squares.
At this point, I just started cutting up sweaters. I didn’t really have a layout plan, I just got however many shapes I could out of each sweater and when I had a bunch, I started laying them out on top of his existing twin-sized quilt. Miraculously, this worked out. I had about 80% of it cut out so I could see what type of pieces I would need to fill it out.
Then I started the sewing. Originally, I had planned to slightly overlap the edges and then use an embroidery/buttonhole stitch along each seam. This was a bad idea (just trust me). So then I started sewing them right sides together, with about a ½” seam. I was a little worried that this would make my 11” squares different sizes because they were put together in different ways, but sweaters are very stretchy and forgiving so it was OK.
First, I put together all of the squares. Then, I sewed rows of six squares each. Last, I sewed the rows together (at this point, I started pinning the rows together before I sewed them, I had kind of skipped that up until this point).
I used basic flannel for the backing and didn’t use a separate binding. I just cut the backing with about 6 inches to spare on all sides. Then I ironed about a 1” hem on all sides. Then I laid the quilt top in the middle, folded over the edges (fairly) evenly and pinned it. I used a variegated thread to buttonhole stitch all the say around the top and I was done.
I didn’t really quilt this because I’m still entertaining the thought of appliquéing a football and a baseball on the top. I will update further if it ever happens. If anyone tries this, send me your pics!
*Notice that I said sewer, not seamstress. It is technically a correct term, although it does bring to mind where things go when you flush them. I just would never presume to refer to myself as a seamstress, it feels like it would insult competent sewers the world over.
** Error #1: I got 8.5” x 11” template sheets even though I knew I was trying to make 11” squares. My only excuse is that it was Black Friday (and I usually NEVER shop on Black Friday but I wanted to get started on this while Sean wasn’t home) and my mind was addled by the frenzy of consumerism all around me. So then I had to tape pieces of the template together with packing tape to get to 11”.
